Has become like a widow. But not really a widow; rather, like a woman whose husband went abroad and he intends to return to her.13See Maseches Sanhedrin 104a.
(כו) אֵין לָהּ מְנַחֵם, אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֵין הֲוָה לָהּ. (בראשית יא, ל): וַתְּהִי שָׂרַי עֲקָרָה אֵין לָהּ וָלָד, וַהֲוָה לָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית כא, א): וַה' פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה. וְדִכְוָתֵיהּ (שמואל א א, ב): וּלְחַנָּה אֵין יְלָדִים, וַהֲוָה לָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א ב, כא): כִּי פָקַד ה' אֶת חַנָּה. וְדִכְוָתֵיהּ (ירמיה ל, יז): צִיּוֹן הִיא דֹּרֵשׁ אֵין לָהּ, וַהֲוָה לָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נט, כ): וּבָא לְצִיּוֹן גּוֹאֵל, אַף כֵּן אַתְּ אוֹמֵר: אֵין לָהּ מְנַחֵם, וַהֲוָה לָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נא, יב): אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מְנַחֶמְכֶם.
(26) “…she has no comforter…” (Lamentations 1:2) R’ Levi said: every place where it says ‘has no,’ she has. “And Sarai was barren; she had no child.” (Genesis 11:30) And she did have, as it says “And the Lord remembered Sarah…” (Genesis 21:1) Similarly, “…but Hannah had no children.” (Samuel I 1:2) And she did have, as it says “For the Lord remembered Hannah…” (Samuel I 2:21) Similarly, “…that is Zion whom no one seeks out.” (Jeremiah 30:17) And she did have, as it says “And a redeemer shall come to Zion…” (Isaiah 59:20) And so too you say that she has no comforter - she has, as it says “I, yea I am He Who consoles you…” (Isaiah 51:12)